A Call To The Remnant

Mar 8:33 But when He had turned around and looked on His disciples, He rebuked Peter, saying, Get behind Me, Satan! For you do not mind the things of God, but of the things of men.

How many times have you heard people say “There there, everything will be okay.” Having lived long enough, I know that not to be true, yet still people somehow cling to that notion and draw comfort from it. When Peter , hearing Jesus talk about the things that He must suffer, rebukes Jesus and tells Him these things shall never be, Jesus uses the same rebuke that He used with Satan when Satan tempted Him. And so, those who mind the things of the world will always be offended at the notion that we have been called to suffer. We know that all who live Godly in Christ Jesus will suffer, yet we also know that there are many who would rebuke us for these thoughts. And why? Because they mind the things of this world and do not mind the things of God. My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.(James 1:2-4)

Here we see the connection between our various trials and our sanctification. Trials are the testing of our faith and our grade is measured by the joy that we experience in the midst of it. Many many things can be counterfeited in the Christian walk, but joy in the midst of suffering is not one of them. It is not natural, it is supernatural. I have a brother in Christ in hospital right now, he is very sick and has had tests and is waiting to see if he has cancer. One of the nurses requested him as a patient because of his wonderful attitude as a patient compared to others in the same situation. He told me that whether he lives or whether he dies he wants to glorify God. He wants to finish strong. You see, patience is working in my brother because he is able to count it all joy. He is lacking in nothing for Christ is his all in all. When we surrender to the things that we have no control over and we determine in the midst of it to glorify God and revel in His presence then we are as a light that shines forth from darkness. Witnesses to an astonished world that there is something more important than our lives and the circumstances of them. It is God and His Glory. To know that and to walk in it is the key to our lives as saints. It is also the key to joy and peace by the power of the Holy Spirit.